Five facts about James Milner as Premier League record-breaker announces retirement | OneFootball

James Milner has announced his retirement from professional football, bringing an end to an illustrious career that saw him break the Premier League appearance record.

The veteran midfielder concludes his playing days with an unparalleled 658 games in England’s top flight, surpassing Gareth Barry’s previous benchmark by five, and here are five facts you should know about the Premier League great...

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Milner finishes just ahead of Gareth Barry for Premier League appearances (Fabio De Paola/PA) (PA)

1. Leading the exclusive group of players to feature in 600 Premier League games

Milner now stands at the pinnacle of Premier League longevity, leading an elite group of four players who have amassed over 600 appearances.

Barry, with 653 games across spells at Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton, and West Brom, is followed by Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs (632) and Frank Lampard (609), who featured for Chelsea, West Ham, and Manchester City.

Notably, no goalkeeper has reached the 600-game milestone, with former England international David James ranking fifth overall on 572 appearances.

The top 10 also features Gary Speed (535), Emile Heskey (514), and Mark Schwarzer (514), the only non-British player to achieve over 500 appearances. Jamie Carragher (508) and Phil Neville (505) complete this distinguished list.

Further players to have broken the 500-game barrier include Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard, both on 504, and Sol Campbell with 503. With Ashley Young (485) also retiring this summer, Brentford’s Jordan Henderson, on 463 appearances, is now the leading active Premier League player.

2. Outside top 10 for minutes played

While Barry holds the record for minutes played in the Premier League with 54,439, Milner ranks 12th with 40,876.

Giggs, Carragher, and Gerrard remain the only players to have made over 500 appearances for a single club, while Barry still holds Aston Villa’s Premier League appearance record with 365.

Milner’s journey began at his boyhood club Leeds, where he made 48 appearances and, at 16 years and 356 days, became the Premier League’s youngest goalscorer at the time – a record he still holds second place for.

He went on to play 94 times for Newcastle and 100 for Aston Villa, including a loan spell.

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James Milner was once the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history (PA)

4. Three league titles at Man City and Liverpool

His most successful periods came with Manchester City, where he made 147 appearances and secured two Premier League titles, and Liverpool, where he played 230 games and added a third title to his collection.

5. Top 10 for assists

His final season saw him make 39 appearances for Brighton after joining in the summer of 2023, though the 2024-25 campaign was curtailed by injuries, limiting him to just four games.

Throughout his career, Milner scored 56 goals across his various clubs and registered an impressive 90 assists, placing him 10th on the all-time Premier League assist chart.